It was getting late. We just saw some great improv at Upright Citizens Brigade. We had Pizza, Cannoli, and saw Mean Girls. It was a fantastic day. But the day was not over. Before heading back to the hotel, we decided to go explore Times Square.
Times Square
This was my first time in New York City since I was in high school, and I remember being completely in awe of Times Square. The shops, the huge signs, the people, the energy it was all larger than life. It left me with a sense of wonder and whimsy when it came to New York, but I was young, inexperienced, and completely untraveled. 16 year old me is nothing at like who I am now. This made me extremely excited to revisit Times Square.
Curious as to how I would see Times Square as an adult, we headed in that direction. Once we arrived, I became shocked. Shocked that I previously enjoyed Times Square. I was overwhelmed, but this time it was with a sense of capitalism. Not that capitalism is bad, but Times Square is honestly where it goes too far. I was surrounded by overpriced name brand shops, chain restaurants, and big glowing signs advertising the latest and greatest. It was all just too much.
It takes what I find unique and interesting about New York, and it all disappears into commercialism. But commercialism, i guess, is just another aspect of New York, that makes it unique. New York is the capital of commercialism. The home of greed. So it is only natural that New York would have a living monument to this sort of greed. It also makes sense that people would flock to this monument to worship it. Boy, my opinions of Times Square have changed since I was a kid.
Overall
While Times Square is not the same awe inspiring place as it was for me as a kid, it is THE monument to American commercialism, and an important place to visit on a trip to New York. Given that it is free, you might as well walk through.